Scott Houtz, president, Air Management Technologies, Lewisburg, PA, says that since the pandemic started, the company has fielded many questions pertaining to what measures to implement to improve air quality with existing systems, but haven’t seen substantial increases in air management investments by food processors. “It is our opinion this may be because food processing facilities are already ahead of the curve. Many of the design concepts recommended by the CDC have become commonplace in the food industry due to FSMA and other requirements such as increased air filtration efficiencies, outdoor ventilation air, air cleaning technologies, and similar product safety enhancements,” he notes.
“At the same time, the pandemic has definitely impacted the markets we serve,” says Houtz. “Some of our traditional industrial manufacturing markets, including automotive, have had to ramp down production due to ongoing chip shortages. On the other hand, we’re seeing other industries ramp up, like nutraceuticals, exercise equipment, and food and beverage, in response to changing consumer behaviors. We are actively reaching out to these industries to help them expand production safely in regards to indoor air quality. We’re very excited by the opportunities in the food processing and packaging sector.”
Tom Leach, national sales manager, pneumatic conveying, CAMCORP, Lenexa, KS, agrees, saying that some manufacturers are adjusting production output capacity and this adjustment can have an impact on maintenance and schedules. “As we have seen in the baking and snack industry among many others, Coronavirus has negatively impacted the supply chains, fluctuating steel prices, and has caused delivery delays. Many customers have felt the disruption to their up-stream supply chains experiencing reduced output. The production capabilities are limited because some workers have been required to stay at home to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
Dynamic Air Quality Solutions, Princeton, NJ, manufactures high-efficiency air cleaning and high-output germicidal UVC systems. “To put it mildly, we were really busy,” says Duke Wiser, president & CEO.
“Our systems require about one-third of the fan energy and have a far longer maintenance cycle than traditional alternatives and our business had been up significantly for the last several years,” says Wiser. “2020 continued that trend and was our busiest ever. Like other manufacturers, we had to do this while dealing with the challenges of increasing production while implementing social distancing and dealing with disrupted supply chains. But it was great to be able to produce things that could help in the fight,” he comments.